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December 13, 1999
Initiated with a generous gift from longtime Board of Trustees member Murray L. Cole and his wife, Miriam, the Musical Instrument Endowment Fund is designed to ensure that music students will have access to quality instruments to help them reach their full musical potential.
"This generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Cole supports the University's ongoing commitment to provide high-quality education to all of its students," said MSU President Susan A. Cole.
The establishment of this fund is indicative of the Coles' passion for music and other areas of the arts. The family has its share of musicians, singers and writers, including Miriam, a former professional dancer. "Without the arts, the country dies," she said. "Not too many people are as passionate about this as we are."
The couple's son, Jonathan, a lawyer, plays guitar, and another son, Peter, is a writer. Even Murray admits to a few years of tickling the ivories. "I studied piano for several years under three teachers, and they all told me I'd be great if I only had a sense of rhythm," he mused.
The Music Department has been training professional musicians for more than 50 years. The curriculum is based on the philosophy that students should be exposed to all facets of music, including performance, theory, music history and technology.
Cole hopes the fund will assist many of Montclair State's gifted music students who come from families of limited means. "We have a fine Music Department with many students who may not be able to buy an instrument," he said. "We hope this fund will help." The University will seek support from alumni, parents and friends to ensure the fund is sufficiently endowed.